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Letters From Camp Magazine – Spring 2026

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Letter from the Editor

“We must prepare the children for the road, not the road for the children.”

When I was a camp director, I wrote many blog posts, newsletters, and emails to parents about the importance of camp and about the life skills their children would gain. Camp is an ideal place for kids to be challenged, uncomfortable, and problem-solve without their parents. It is a place where children grow, learn, and come home more resilient.

I love camp. I believe in camp. I have dedicated the last 25 years to a career in camping.

My two children spent their first few summers as camp kids, taking first steps in the dining hall and running around with the “big kids” while they were still in diapers.

And yet, when it was time to send the boys to overnight camp for the first time last summer, I couldn’t help but clutch my pearls and ask who in the world came up with such a ridiculous concept. My babies … in the woods … without me?! Inconceivable.

But somewhere, from deep inside, the words that I used to reassure countless parents over many years came back to me, and I signed the boys up for a session at YMCA Camp Icaghowan.

Did I turn around and hire a photographer to shadow them?

Sort of, maybe...

Did I technically do that for the magazine and not because I am a crazy helicopter parent?

Yes, of course!

(Left) Natalie’s sons at camp in 2018 (Right) Natalie and her son Augustus at camp in 2018
(Left) Natalie’s sons at camp in 2018 (Right) Natalie and her son Augustus at camp in 2018
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All jokes aside, capturing memories and moments is how we bottle lightning — how we save a little magic for a day when it’s harder to find. While the Camp Icaghowan photo story in the pages ahead was, for me, a way to preserve that magic, issue seven of Letters from Camp is a roundup celebration of what it means to be part of something rare: the essence of camp magic, and the many ways people carry camp with them long after leaving the place they once called a home away from home.

The concept of “camp magic” is understood by everyone who has been at camp and experienced the feeling of belonging, the feeling of wonder, mixed with the smell of the trees and the sounds of laughter. It’s sunshine warming you to your core, dancing in the rain, and being overwhelmed by the immenseness of a sky filled with stars. It’s hard to describe, but every camp person knows exactly what I’m talking about. 

Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone who has shared their magical moments.

During your spring cleaning this season, when you see your bottle of lightning from camp sitting on that dusty shelf, don’t forget to think of your friend Natalie, and bring that magic back to share with this community! You know where to find me. 😉

Natalie King
Director of Alumni Philanthropy and Editor and Lead Writer- 'Letters From Camp Magazine'

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